He won at least one event on either the PGA Tour or the international tour nearly every year for the next decade, and topped the PGA Tour's money list in 1991, when he was the last man to achieve this without winning at least one million dollars in prize money. Pavin's success culminated in his only major victory, the 1995 U.S. Open. Rather than marking a move to a new level of achievement, however, this was soon followed by a long slide down the world rankings from a high ranking of 5th. After Pavin won the Bank of America Colonial in 1996, he did not win another PGA Tour tournament for ten years. His 89th-place finish on the 2004 money list was the first time he had made the top one hundred since 1998. Pavin finally won his 15th career title in 2006 at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, ending a streak of 242 consecutive tournaments without a win.

On July 27, 2006, during the first round of what would become his 15th tour title, Pavin broke the record for the fewest number of strokes needed to complete nine holes at a PGA Tour event, with an 8-under par score of 26. The previous record of 27 strokes was held by Mike Souchak, Andy North, Billy Mayfair and Robert Gamez, with Mayfair and Gamez' scores being 9-under par.[10] His 36-hole total of 125 also tied the record for fewest shots taken in the first 36 holes of a PGA Tour event held by Tom Lehman, Mark Calcavecchia, and Tiger Woods.[11]

Pavin was the only top Jewish player on the tour until 1991.[12][13][14][15][16] In that year, he converted to Christianity.[17][18][19][20][21] He was named the 117th-greatest Jewish athlete in the 2007 book The Big Book of Jewish Sports Heroes, by Peter S. Horvitz.[22]

In December 2008, Pavin was named captain for the 2010 Ryder Cup U.S. team by the PGA of America.[23] In October 2010, the U.S. Ryder Cup team lost 13½ to 14½, against the European side.[24]

Pavin made a cameo appearance playing himself in the 1996 movie Tin Cup starring Kevin Costner. In the movie, Pavin tells Fred Couples, "I can't believe that the name below mine on the U.S. Open trophy might be Tin Cup." Pavin was married to Shannon Healy, with whom he has two children. He married Lisa Nguyen in 2003.[25][26]